This invention relates to a system for automatically taking individual elongated cylindrical bars from a supply of bars located on a holding table, longitudinally supporting the bars, and feeding them into a grinding station where the bar is ground to the requisite diameter and finish. The bar is automatically driven through the grinding station during the grinding action to an exit conveyor and then moved to a storage area.
Systems of the aforementioned type conventionally include a mechanism for placing individual bars on a support device and then longitudinally directing the bars into position to be ground. In the grinding station, the grinding wheel is fixed in position and the bar support and conveying mechanism is movable to permit transverse movement of the bar to be ground into position against a fixed grinding wheel.
It can be appreciated that this is a high labor-intensive method of operation since operators must be constantly available to move the bars against a grinding wheel to accommodate wearing of the grinding wheel. In view of the typical extended length of the bars to be ground, this method of operation requires several operators in order to insure the bars are located in the proper position and orientation to be accurately ground. Also, the handling of different diameter bars and insuring that the bars are individually fed from the holding area and suitably supported during the grinding action requires an inordinate amount of man power, which, if it can be avoided, make for a more speedy, efficient, and less costly system.
It can be appreciated that if a system is provided to automate the introduction of individual bars onto a support, and the support can be readily adjusted to longitudinally support bars of varying diameter, a more efficient system would be provided. Of greater importance yet in the grinding field would be to provide the grinding industry with a system that will automatically compensate for the wear of the grinding wheel during the grinding action. Such a system would be a substantial advance in the art since this would dramatically improve the speed and accuracy of the grinding action while reducing the man power required and thus lower the operating cost.